When working with fiber optics, users are often required to establish connections between non-connectorized ends of optical fibers or fiber ribbons. In some instances, fusion splicing can be used to create high-performance permanent connections. However, fusion splicing equipment may be expensive and relatively cumbersome to use. Alternatively, fibers may be joined via mechanical means, which involves creating temporary or permanent joints between two fibers which abut one another in an alignment fixture. The alignment fixture may be an alignment tube which receives two ends of separate fibers on either side. In other instances, the alignment fixture may be a fiber optic connector with a stub fiber embedded therein made to be connectorized to a field fiber. In this case the field fiber can be terminated with a mechanical splice to the stub fiber inside the connector.
In order to avoid significant loss of signal and minimize the potential reflectance or light leakage within these joints, users must ensure that the fiber(s) are properly cleaved, that there is precise alignment between the fibers, and that transparent gel or optical adhesive applied between the fibers matches the optical properties of the glass. However, these details are not always easy to detect and/or ensure. Therefore, there is a need for apparatuses and methods directed towards helping to determine and improve the quality of mechanical splices and provide improved termination of field fibers.